Monday, November 14, 2005

Catching up with the Bloggers


I've been busy, busy, busy as usual -- went to Schaumburg to do some Christmas shopping yesterday -- think I have all but 3 gifts bought that I'm going to buy. Now I can mostly relax, wrap the gifts I have, and sneak in time to quilt, quilt, quilt!
Started a tree skirt from scraps (of course!), on Saturday. This is actually a quilt as you go type -- which I have never actually done before. Pattern was re-drafted by a friend on one of my lists known as "DustingYourStash", which as the name implies focuses on using up stash! It's over at YahooGroups and we try to offer a project every few months or so to work together on. The rest are planning on starting it this weekend, but alas, we are having Thanksgiving here on Sunday, so won't be sewing at all, so I started early! Got 3 legs done and another started today -- may be able to get a leg done a day! So - that's my quilty project this week.

Wanted to say Big Time Congrats to Bonnie! Valedictorian, no less! Must have been wonderful having your folks there for this big honor! And thanks for posting the pics of Charleston -- I have heard so much about the city and someday will get there myself.

Finn -- love your Paths to Piece quilt -- sew many ugly fabrics, sew little time! But even ugly fabrics look beautiful in the right setting!
And Fragments is an amazing quilt. Thanks for sharing that one.

My first quilt was a sampler, also. Took a beginners class (loved every minute of it), learned to hand piece and hand quilt and I was such a snob I thought that was the only way to quilt! It was just a 4 part sampler and I gave it to my mom in a nursing home at the time and can you believe it was stolen from her? I do have a picture of it somewhere (really need to get back to filing the photos -- must be 5 years behind by now). I quickly learned on the second quilt that I was not going to be hand piecing anything -- too many quilts, too little time! Amazing how fast one realizes how many quilt doors are now open after taking that first class. Did hand quilt the first 5 or 6 bed size before I got brave enough to take a machine quilting class. Also didn't start another quilt til I finished the one I was working on -- that lasted as long as the hand quilting. And there you go - the beginning of ufo's and scraps!

Dawn - loved your pictures of the Abbey. Beautiful. All this and quilting too.
And gotta go hunt down my turkey quilt, too. Maybe I'll get him posted tomorrow!

Sharon - glad to hear you and hubby made it back home and that his surgery this time was relatively minor. Sounds like you've both been through a lot the past couple of years.
I absolutely adore your Stewdio - can I come live at your house?

Sarah -- you've been busy quilting - wtg! What is Stash Sunday? And what kind of longarm machine do you have? Inquiring minds want to know, so I can drool witha specific machine in mind.

Tracey - beautiful wedding pictures, nice recollections of the trip and of your grandma -- I think we would all like to be remembered as well as you remember her. So wonderful that you were able to really spend time with her as a young adult.
And, I love the quilt, too -- once again, too many quilts to do -- just want to sit and sew for days on end!

Judy - I made my first quilt back in the early nineties (I'm always a late starter -- but once I'm hooked, I'm hooked for life!). Must be a theme on the first sampler quilts though to use pink or blue! And, I have a question -- how long did you machine quilt before you bought your first longarm? And what kind did you get? (I'm doing my own private longarm survey here -- I need lots of info so I can dream big and drool alot. And then, when I'm ready, I can start the big whine with hubby!).

Nines - prayers for both your mom and dad -- and you and hubby and kids, too. Hope everything went well. I always take some handwork with me to the hospital too -- but sometimes when I'm particularly worried, I can't concentrate enough to work on it. Sometimes it is just better to have some crocheting or knitting, or something that doesn't take any precise work. My DH had a triple bypass a few years ago -- we've done the numerous hospital visit thing. Last one though was a cat scan scheduled for 9 pm! Had to be there at 7:15 so he could drink the nasty barium stuff. So I brought hand applique. Still working on a quilt called Tulip Farm from a few years back, so easy to grab a bag of pieces and work on it. When I'm not particularly worried, I really enjoy the hand work!

Welcome Lucy -- I am so far behind, I am embarrassed. It is so interesting to read your blog and see your pictures. Beautiful work. Many years ago I worked with a man from Haarlem. We worked at an aircraft parts manufacturer and he was a customer service representative.
I like your little quilts. It's nice to do a little quilt now and then to actually be able to finish one in a day or so. You flower quilt is gorgeous - congratulations to have it hanging in a show in France. And, your daughter is beautiful. Is she learning to quilt?

Lynn -- really like your wonky houses quilt. Wish I had the time to make one of every quilt Bonnie has displayed on her website!
But first on my list will be the pineapple blossom quilt -- that one just speaks to me -- in fact it's very rudely shouting "do me now, do me now". Hmmm, maybe I'll make a couple of "littles" just to savor some scrappy quilting in between the holiday rush.

Well, I've been on the 'puter for 2 hours now and haven't finished catching up on all the blogs, but must go provide a lap for JR (my Jack Russell Terrier). He gets a little perturbed if his schedule isn't kept and we have lap time about this time every evening!

4 comments :

Granny said...

Joanne: I had been quilting for about 15 years when I bought the first longarm (which was actually an old shortarm). When we lived in Louisiana I worked outside the home and only made a few quilts a year and had someone else quilt them. When we moved to KY in 1997, I didn't work outside the home and I made more tops and began looking for someone to quilt them and couldn't find anyone. I did a few on the sewing machine and decided I wanted a longarm. DH saw the prices, flipped out and we found that old shortarm. It had a 12 foot oak table and was setup just like the longarms but had the smaller throat space. I used it for a couple of years before buying a used APQS Ult. I (non-stitch regulated). Used that for a few years, then bought the APQS Millennium. If you have more questions, write me. I'll be glad to answer whatever I can.

Finn said...

Morning Joanne..good to see you again..I certainly understand "busy"...LOL. I'd love to know more about that Yahoo group...does it have a name like the "sunshine" group does?? Since I hang my hat at Yahoo, I'm always interested..*S*

Like what you are doing so far with the tree skirt. I'm suppose to be making one for #1 daughter..oh, for about 5 years now...LOL..haven't started it yet. I'm soooooooooo bad..*G*

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh Joanne! Now why didn't you let me know you were in Schaumburg yesterday! We could have met for lunch! I bet you were at Woodfield and I work 1 block from there!

Love your tree skirt so far!

Lucy said...

Hi Joanne,
Thank you for your kind welcome words! That is funny you met a man from Haarlem.

No Isis started with making pincushions a a dress!!! for a doll. I ad some pictures from what she made over a few days at my blog.. More asked for iit :c)

Lucy